The Fox and the Phoenix
by starstruck127
Summary: So what happened to Draco and Ginny while the Dream Team was gallivanting about the country? What was really happening to Draco at Malfoy Manor? Why, Draco kidnapped Ginny Weasley to begin with and things just fell into place...


**A/N: **

**Disclaimer: I do not, and never will, own Harry Potter. **

**This story was originally written for the dgficexchange for Pipperstorms. I finally got around to posting it somewhere else.**

**The Fox and the Phoenix**

Draco Malfoy set his package onto the floor of his dark, forest green room. He looked about his ornately decorated room to make sure there was nothing amiss, then unwrapped his package. One might say it was odd to unwrap a Weasley girl as a package, but he did not think so. He had successfully wrangled her as a present from his father and the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord had given him a task, however: to "break" the Weasley girl. A Death Eater or two would check his progress every once in a while, but he tried not to think about that. He was just thanking the gods that he was able to continue with his plan: learning to become an Animagus. He needed a partner, and she had, after all, seemed quite competent in schooling. Her major flaw of course, was the Weasley genes: too much fight and too bright hair. However, even her being a Weasley was not enough to stop him from continuing his plan, partner or not.

As she began to stir, Draco prepared his speech. He observed her as she slowly emerged from her curse-induced slumber. She finally realized Draco was there and shouted, "YOU BLOODY PILLOCK! WHY DID YOU HEX ME?" It was then that she realized where she was and also shouted, "WHERE THE BLOODY HELL ARE WE? DID YOU KIDNAP ME? I SWEAR, MALFOY, I'LL HAVE YOUR HEAD!" After that, she seemed rather lost for words and conceded to glower at him while making contingency plans in her head.

"Weasley, Weasley, Weasley, calm down. You are in my bedroom. A thousand girls would _kill _to be in your spot right now, bound, on my floor, with me above you—" He was rather glad she was the one bound on the floor at the moment. _She looked quite delectable while angry, _he reflected, _and bound. _As soon as he realized his thoughts, he set about destroying them, not succeeding in the least.

"Malfoy…" The phrase "if looks could kill" sprung to Draco's mind. He was glad she was bound.

"Weasley, shut up and let me explain what's happening to you. And no, don't ask why I'd explain this to you, just listen. I kidnapped you to get into good favor with the Death Eaters and also because I have a mission. No, not a Death Eater mission. It's on a need-to-know basis, but what you're going to do is just a little research for now." _That would have to do. It's near-enough to the truth, _he reckoned.

"Research? You kidnapped me so I could do _research _?" She looked positively red now. It was quite entertaining.

"Just listen, Weasley," Malfoy said irritably, "You do this research for me and you'll get two things in return: I won't kill you and you won't be in danger from anyone else but me."

Ginny replied sarcastically, "Great, Malfoy. My life's dream is realized. I worship you for being my only evil." She made an elaborate bow, nose nearly touching the ground before snapping back up into glaring position.

Draco heard footsteps coming, "Shh." Weasley didn't look like she wanted to comply, so Draco jumped on top of her, whipping out his wand just as a tall brunette of a Death Eater opened Draco's door and burst in.

"Malfoy, the— Oh, sorry. The Dark Lord wants to see you at next meeting Malfoy. Budge up."

"You couldn't have sent a house elf to tell me that, Avery?"

"Thought it should be delivered personally. May be the last time I see you, anyway." Avery grinned darkly as he stepped out of the room.

In the meantime Ginny was using every power given to her to try to get Malfoy off her, but she did have invisible ropes binding her. They never said Weasleys went down without a fight, though. She bit him in the neck.

"Ow! Bloody hell, Weasley!" Draco came back with a clever retort, "Are you a vampire or something?" Ginny was about to scream something and it seemed Malfoy could tell, so he cast a silencing charm on her. "What was I saying? Ah yes, it's much nicer with you quiet. My purpose here is to learn to do something in particular. We have a limited amount of time before Voldemort decides it's time to attack. Your choice is to help me along the way, or to die."

Ginny clearly mouthed, "Death."

Draco smirked sarcastically, "Well, that's settled, then. Where shall we begin?"

And so they began, Ginny resisting at first, but slowly becoming used to her day's work learning to become an Animagus. It was possibly the most difficult thing she'd ever done. She found out after three days' researching that Malfoy wanted to become an Animagus. She thought this was quite curious, but continued studying. She knew this was the only way for her to stay alive, because during the first two days, she hadn't done anything. Although Malfoy didn't torture her, he didn't give her food either. So she started studying, learning for herself the transformation process along the way. Sometimes she'd be left studying by herself while Malfoy was at Death Eater meetings, especially soon after she arrived at Malfoy Manor. She missed her family a great deal. Draco had kidnapped her on the train to London for Easter holidays, and she wondered how her family had reacted upon finding her missing. She wished she were there with them. Once, early on, she even thought she had heard Hermione screaming, but knew it was just wishful thinking, though, after more thinking, wanting to hear Hermione screaming wasn't the best thing to want.

She also wondered why Malfoy was acting so peculiarly all the time. What was his intention in becoming an Animagus? The Death Eaters certainly had other ways of doing things. Why would he even need it when he could use all those Dark spells. Why was she here, other than the obvious? Why wasn't he torturing her? What was happening in the outside world? There were so many questions she could not answer, so she absorbed herself in the question she could answer: How can I become an Animagus?

There was also the looming threat of Malfoy everywhere she turned. He was the only one she saw there, and he seemed to act almost hospitable to her, other than the inevitable Weasley-Malfoy banter. He silenced her if it annoyed him too much, though.

They continued like this for about a month, Weasley and Malfoy becoming closer as time progressed.

Ginny heard her door open and close quickly and quietly, as was the way of the infamous Draco Malfoy. _Did I just think _my _door? No, surely not. It is his door, not mine. There. _Ginny reassured herself. She turned around from the deeply finished wooden desk she was working at, wondering why he had not addressed her yet, and all she registered was red. There was blood all over him, and his dark robes were surely soaked as well, though she could not see them very well. She hesitated for a moment, then made her decision, rushing over and helping him shrug off his robes. He handed her his wand after a moment, apparently trusting her to help him in this time of need. She obliged, murmuring some healing spells. Ginny's dream was to become a Chaser for the Holyhead Harpies; Healing, however, was more useful in the Order than barrel rolls, so she studied up on Healing over the past summer, after Harry left. This was a great way to keep from thinking of him, and she discovered that she wasn't bad at it, and was even beginning to consider Healing after retiring from Quidditch.

Ginny was so deep in her thoughts that Draco's low rumbling "Thanks" startled her out of her reverie.

She blushed and muttered, "Anytime," handing him his wand and going back to her book about Animagus forms. She had decided to scry for her Animagus form as instructed in the book she was reading. She cast the appropriate spells on the mirror, allowing her to find her two Animagus forms by looking in the mirror. They would each have to choose between the two forms, or, if they really wanted to, they could pick a different animal.

After she and Draco did so, separately of course, they had chosen their forms from the two given through scrying. Her two were a mare and a phoenix. The phoenix surprised Ginny more than the mare. The only phoenix she'd ever seen was Dumbledore's, and she did admire it, but the mare was more of her style in general. Her mother had allowed her to ride horses during her childhood, which she quite enjoyed. After much deliberation, Ginny chose the phoenix form and took her information to Draco so he could choose a form. Draco's two were a ferret and a fox. Ginny knew Malfoy thought about the incident with Moody in his third year every time a ferret was mentioned, so it was no shock that he chose the fox.

At the end of April, Ginny and Draco finally achieved their Animagus transformations. Ginny had gotten used to Malfoy after a month, and had finally told him of her intention to become an Animagus a few days earlier. His reaction was disconcerting. "Weasley! I'm surprised at you. How dare you become an Animagus. Oh woe is me." And with that, Draco Malfoy fell off his bed and onto a conjured pillow on the floor, laughing indignantly. This was the most open Ginny had ever seen him. "As if, Weasley! I'd known you were going to try to achieve Animagus since the fourth day you were here!"

Ginny was dumbfounded. This was unlike anything she expected to see in Draco Malfoy. He had collapsed after this; she assumed he was continuing, but she discovered, upon further inspection, that he had actually been crying part of the time. She wondered what had made Draco so upset that he cried in front of her. _Well, not really in front of me, but pretty close. And did I just call him Draco? No, of course not. Okay. _

The Animagus transformations were not a moment too soon, because the next day, Draco cast extra protection charms around their room and told her, in a low voice, "Listen Weasley. I'm only going to tell you this once. The Dark Lord and Potter are going to have a big battle in a few days, and all the Death Eaters are going to be deployed to help and such. I've decided, after much thought, to let you go," Ginny's eyes became as wide as Luna's at this point, "but you have to assume your Animagus form as soon as I let you out and stay that way until you get somewhere safe. And would it be too much to ask for you not to rat me out? Now run along, Weasley, before I change my mind." His eyes transformed from the stormy bastion they were into cold and steely in an instant. He turned around and waited for her to leave, apparently intently studying one of his armoires.

Ginny was so beside herself that she almost hopped onto the windowsill as herself. She remembered herself and began to change before, against her better judgment, going back to Malfoy. She whispered, "Thanks, Malfoy. You won't regret it." She hugged him for a quick second, and turned, shifting into a beautiful phoenix. Her plumage shone in the darkness bright and peaceful and she was gone.

A pale boy with a shock of blonde hair loped through the halls of Hogwarts with a gait that suggested an intention. He surreptitiously glanced about as he headed down the stairs, and, seeing no one, suddenly disappeared. Then he was back, though one could say he was a bit different. Very different, really, but the soul, not the form, is the most important part of one, of course, so in fact, Draco Malfoy was the same. He seemed to be looking for something and failing. He continued to walk through the hallways aimlessly, leaping effortlessly over the rubble of the nearby. Seeming to give up on finding his quarry, the young man tried to enter the battle, or at least get around the large entrance hall to the opposite side. Spells were flying and wands were flicking. People were fallen all around and many were immersed in battle. He looked about sullenly, suddenly unsure of what to do. Deciding, he followed the plan.

Half an hour later, Draco was still running about the castle. He had decided upon his mission: find _her. _He looked down the hall and saw a feather on the ground. He sniffed it and continued in the same direction, apparently heartened.

Draco knew his time had come. He stepped up to the classroom door, stepped in, and whispered, "Ginny." However, it did not come out as "Ginny" because he was still a snow white fox. _Snow White, _he bristled, _why did she gave me _that _name! _Ginny had given him that name after several hours of practice Animagus transformations. Even after Ginny had successfully completed her transformation twice, he'd had trouble finishing his transformation. All would be perfect besides his coat, which would stay obstinately tan. After finally achieving the snow white color, his nickname was born._I'd be better suited as the beast from that Muggle movie. _

Draco remembered the day well. He was eleven years old and utterly bored during the winter holidays at home. He snuck off with his broomstick and flew to the nearest Muggle town, Salisbury. Dobby had provided him with provisions and was not to tell his father where he was. It took nearly an hour to get there, but it was worth it. Draco touched down in the wood outside the town and stowed his broom under a particularly sturdy tree, hoping against hope it would be there when he returned. He set his jaw and went into a Muggle village for the first time.

After an hour, he decided it was quite fun. He had met some Muggle boys on the street, and, though they were in rags, he played with them because he was bored. He noticed that they were shivering much of the time, but he paid it no thought because he was still worried about his broom.

After a while, the boys and Draco went to a coin movie theater, Draco getting in by staying close to the group and sneaking in. The film they watched was _Beauty and the Beast. _That night, Draco Malfoy was mesmerized. He wanted to see more movies, especially _Beauty and the Beast _again. Three times that holiday, Draco snuck off to the Muggle village and saw movies.

His father never found out, but Narcissa did. She knew telling her husband would do no good, but she didn't want to punish her boy either. Lucius did not approve of affection by rule, so Narcissa did her best to hide her emotions. She was very good at it by now, having done the same when she, Bellatrix, and the rest of her family had disowned her sister Andromeda. So, she allowed Draco to visit the Muggles, though he only visited twice more as a boy.

Ginny looked up sharply, as she realized that he had never called her that name before. At least, not intentionally. She heard him murmur it when he was sleep once, but that was neither here nor there.

"How'd you know I'd be here?"

"I've looked everywhere else… I wasn't even sure you were in the room… What is this setup anyway?"

"It's the Room of Requirement. How did you get in here?"

"I know that part already. I asked for the place where Ginny Weasley was staying. And by my question, I meant, what did you ask it for? It looks rather like Trelawney's room, but in House colors."

Ginny thought his answer through and decided that because the Room of Requirement let him though, he must be trustworthy. The room would never let anyone with bad intentions in. Neville was too good at creating the room's parameters to allow that. She answered, "This is where some students stayed to get away from the Carrows. I'd rather not think about them right now, though." The room abruptly changed, losing most of the furnishings and creating a warm-looking couch, what looked to Ginny like a tellyvision screen, and a fireplace. Ginny walked forward to examine the screen, and, after staring for a moment, realized at the same moment as Draco what it was.

"It's showing the battle!" Draco said as Ginny yelled, "We have to help them!" The plan forgotten, Draco raced after Ginny as she left the room and pelted towards the Great Hall. It seemed she had seen a friend in trouble. Draco, after battling for a few minutes, was struck by an idea and went back to the Room of Requirement to retrieve a few items to help in the battle.

When he got there, he saw Crabbe and Goyle opening the door to the Room of Requirement. Deciding quickly, he caught the door and went in after them. The two were in the Room of Hidden Things. Having used the room extensively the year before, Draco wondered what they were up to and followed them. He knew that had really become evil after he had left school, but doubted they had enough intelligence to conceive a plot of their own.

The duo seemed to be poking a stuffed troll with their wands when Draco heard something nearby. Looking over a teetering, but short stack of books, he saw a black head, a brown head, and an orange head. _Why is the Dream Team here? Don't they have better things to do, like defending Ginny or defeating the Dark Lord? _

He disregarded it as a flare of light in his peripheral vision caused him to turn. Crabbe had fried the troll, which smelled faintly of burnt socks. He left the pair, covered by a Disillusionment Charm, and followed Potter and the gang. He turned back, decided to act like the boy they all thought he was, and called to Crabbe and Goyle, "Hey, come help me with Potter." They complied.

He stepped boldly up to Potter and was planning what to say when he saw his wand, and burst out, "That's my wand you're holding, Potter."

"Not anymore. Winners, keepers, Malfoy. Who's lent you theirs?"

Draco firmly reminded himself that he couldn't kill Potter. He didn't know why, but a small feminine voice in his head told him not to, as if he could if he had even wanted to. "My mother."  
Potter laughed. Draco couldn't believe him, but did not say anything.

"So how come you three aren't with Voldemort?"

Crabbe took the reigns, surprising Draco, "We're gonna be rewarded. We 'ung back, Potter. We decided not to go. Decided to bring you to 'im."

"Good plan," said Harry, "So how did you get in here?"

Draco looked up, having been thinking about some way to get out to the battle, feeling dumb for going back at all. He replied with a simple answer, "I virtually lived in the Room of Hidden Things all last year. I know how to get in." He was surprised from the sadness in his voice. He wished he had taken Dumbledore's offer last year. He could have been in France, hiding out instead of here, seeing death and destruction and Potter.

"We was hiding in the corridor outside," grunted Goyle. _Guess he's too stupid to question my motives for coming in here, since I wasn't with them. Maybe he didn't even notice, that dolt, _thought Draco. "We can do Diss-lusion Charms now! And then you turned up r ight in front of us and said you was looking for a die-dum! What's a die-dum?"

Draco was already calculating. He couldn't show his neutrality here, in front of Goyle and Crabbe. He had already decided that his life would be better without the Dark Lord in it, but he didn't want to openly declare that to the world, either. So, as Crabbe tried to destroy the room, he yelled "NO! If you wreck the room you might bury this diadem thing!"

"What's the matter? It's Potter the Dark Lord wants, who cares about a die-dum?"

Draco thought fast, "Potter came in here to get it so that must mean—"

"Must mean?" Draco hated the stupidity of those two. They understood nothing. "Who cares what you think? I don't take your orders no more, _Draco. _You an' your dad are finished."

_Guess he realized I didn't come in with them. Ha, _thought Draco. He ran off, sick of all the problems with this group, just as Crabbe tried to hex a diving Potter. "STOP! The Dark Lord wants him alive—"

A scuffle ensued, with curses going everywhere. Draco just ducked out of the way, missing the brunt of the attempts. He crouched and observed as much of the scene as he could. Potter, Granger, and Weasley were throwing curses all over the place. Crabbe and Goyle's hexes were fewer, but much more powerful. He knew he heard a Killing Curse or two in the mix, even. Draco was startled into action when he smelled smoke. He ran as fast as he could, grabbing Goyle's stunned body. He disliked Goyle, but he didn't want him dead if it could be helped. He realized he wouldn't be able to get to the door in time, but continued running with his burden.

He finally stopped and gave up on his task, waving his arms to a Potter in the air. Broomsticks! _Why didn't I think of that? Too late now. Maybe, just maybe, Potter will help me. _

And so Potter did. Draco was saved and was so happy he didn't even realize what he was doing until they got to the door. He staggered out of the now-flaming room and realized that Crabbe was dead after checking the others. "C-Crabbe. C-rabbe!" He was coughing, but couldn't help the tears rolling down his face. Crabbe had been a helpful person—a friend even—during his first few years of Hogwarts. He had never wanted him dead.

In the time he spent mulling over this, the Dream Team departed, going off to save the world. Draco staggered to his feet and began to walk slowly towards the Great Hall—towards Ginny. _Why Ginny? It's just the Great Hall. Mum's there. That's why I want to go there, _he reassured himself pointlessly.

He stumbled upon a Death Eater along the way, and tried to convince him of his innocent—the faster to get to the Great Hall, when the Death Eater was knocked out and he was punched. At least he was free of the Death Eater. Rushing down the hall, he resumed battle and worked his way over to Ginny, nodding at her as he passed.

The Battle wore on for what seemed like days, but in reality must have been much shorter. Draco was only happy when it was finally over. The Dark Lord was gone, and Draco was free. Or at least he was as close to free as he could ever come. His only wish was to see Ginny Weasley, to make sure she was all right. That was the only thing he could not accomplish during this moment of triumph, for she was surrounded by friends and family. He did, however, find his parents in good enough health and embraced his mother, nodded to his father, and sat down in the Great Hall.

Ginny leapt into her battle stance, fighting for what seemed like an eternity. Later, Ginny battled next to Luna, with whom she had time to speak for a moment as the battle wore on.

"Ginny, where-?"

"Battling around. You?"

"Here, mostly. Injuries?"

"Right forearm, just a cut. You?"

"Sprained ankle, but I think the Nargles are trying to get to me as well."

Ginny was surprised at Luna's near-seriousness, but attributed it to the battle. _Guess no one gets their priorities straight until they need to… _This set her thinking about Draco, which made her worried, which led to her mistake in the battle against Bellatrix Lestrange. She probably shouldn't have been letting her mind wander during that one, but it was too late now.

Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. She saw Bellatrix cast the curse, saw movement behind her, saw Draco's face across the hall, concentrating on his battle, then heard her mother bellow loudly, "NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!" and that was the end of it.

After what seemed like hours of battling, and after having lost track of things several dozen times, it was over. All of it was over. She glanced about and saw Draco seated with his parents. Ginny was glad Narcissa had survived. Draco really did love his mother, and maybe, someday they could tell her about each other.

_Well, _Ginny reflected, _maybe it'll be now. _She had just seen Draco covertly waving her over, and obeyed warily.

"Mother, this is Ginevra Weasley, my—my friend." Narcissa eyed her for a moment, then shook her hand. Her grip was firm but not intimidating, and her hand rattled a bit, but other than that it didn't seem too bad.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss-?"

"Weasley, ma'am. Ginevra Weasley."

Narcissa looked her over once more at this, and Lucius looked away, as if checking for Voldemort at his shoulder, before remembering that he was gone – gone forever! Lucius did not shake her hand, but nodded to her.

_This is going to be a great beginning, _thought Draco, _or at least I hope so, _as he pulled Ginny in and did the boldest thing of his life – kissed her right there. Their kiss spoke volumes of their unspoken emotion for each other. He was astonished that she had apparently been as attracted to him as he to her, but not unhappy. _This is the best day of my life, thought Draco, as they broke the kiss. The Dark Lord is defeated, my family is okay, and I've landed Ginny Weasley. I bet I've blown all the luck I'll ever have. _But his luck wasn't too bad, as every day he spent with Ginny Weasley felt the same as their first moment as a couple—utterly spectacular.

Ginny later reflected that it was too bad that she cast Disillusionment charms upon them after she figured out his intent. No one noticed them besides Narcissa and Lucius, and even they tried to ignore it.

_Three years later. _

Draco Malfoy paced outside a Muggle movie theater in Wiltshire, waiting for Miss Ginny Weasley to come out of the bathroom. He had been steeling himself for this evening for six weeks, and he wasn't about to blow it, so he released his pent-up energy by pacing. When she finally came out, he escorted her into the theater, which they had all to themselves.

He had set up this special screening especially for them and for this moment, which he hoped was the right one. After watching the special feature of _Beauty and the Beast,_Draco and his Belle exited the theater and went into the lobby. Waiting for them was a red rose and a black box on an ornate table.

Draco took the rose and the box, got down on one knee, and plaintively said, "Ginevra Weasley, from the moment I first kidnapped you for my nefarious purposes," they both chuckled, " I knew you were something special. Will you do me the great honor of marrying me?" He extended the rose, which abruptly curled itself into a golden rose-shaped bracelet.

Ginny Weasley looked as shell-shocked as he'd ever seen her, and as Draco opened the box, she seemed to gather her wits, and said, "Yes, I—I think I will."

Draco Malfoy had thought their first kiss was the best moment of his life thus far. He was in for a real shock.

**ORIGINAL REQUEST:**  
**Briefly describe what you'd like to receive in your fic**: Think Beauty and the Beast, but I want some sort of twist, and really, please don't make him ugly, I couldn't bare it!  
**The tone/mood of the fic:** I would like to see it a little bit darker than your classic Disney.  
**An element/line of dialogue/object you would specifically like in your fic:** I would like to see a rose please  
**Preferred rating of the the fic you want:** I would prefer it to be over G/not naughty  
**Canon or AU?** Whichever is easiest for you  
**Deal Breakers (anything you don't want?):** No rape please


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